We saw a slew of creative dunks last season and fans shouldn't expect anything short of spectacular when the contest comes to the Toyota Center in Houston, TX on Feb. 16.

So who's got the early edge to take the trophy in 2013? Let's take a look.

Jeremy Evans

Video courtesy of YouTube

As the defending slam dunk champion, Jeremy Evans has to be thought of as a favorite to win the 2013 contest.

Evans certainly brought the creativity with him last year, including a dunk of two balls at once: as seen above.

The 25-year-old forward has yet to make his mark on the Utah Jazz, averaging just 2.7 PPG and eight minutes per contest in his three seasons with Utah.

At 6'9" Evans is tall and lanky, which affords him the opportunity to attempt crowd-pleasing dunks like he displayed in 2012.

Evans can't go into the competition looking to put in the same effort as last year, as this year's slate of competitors is deeper.

Nonetheless, he's a favorite in my mind.

Gerald Green

Video courtesy of YouTube

Never an NBA stud, Gerald Green is one of the best dunkers in the NBA.

You may remember Green as the 2007 slam dunk contest winner. He shocked the crowd with a shoe-less jam and a dunk where he blew out the candle on a cupcake that was resting on the back iron of the rim.

Green will need to bring his A-game this year, as the competition now requires less dunks, but a higher degree of difficulty to win.

The 6'8" forward had a handful of nasty dunks as a member of the New Jersey Nets last season (as seen above), and you can always YouTube his Boston Celtics days to see a young Green hammering it home.

As a past winner and a still one of the best dunkers in the NBA, Green is undoubtedly a favorite in Houston on Feb. 16.

James White

Video courtesy of YouTube

If you've never heard of James White or his sick dunking abilities, do yourself a favor and Google him right this second.

I've already done some of the work for you with the video above, but one piece of footage doesn't do justice to what this 30-year-old guard is capable of.

White has plenty of experience in dunk contests—mainly internationally—and he reportedly has a handful of dunks that he believes would be scored a perfect 50 for this year's contest (according to Dan Devine of Yahoo! Sports).

White has been largely unsuccessful in asserting himself as a consistent staple on an NBA roster, but one thing is for sure—this dude knows how to throw it down.

The 6'7" guard is the perfect contestant to inject some life back into an NBA event that has slowly died over the past 10 or so years.

You can look no further than White as my pick to win the 2013 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.